Rosebud
by Jolie.Mots
Summary: I was in too much pain to shiver. Too cold to whimper. Too humiliated to fight for my life. I welcomed my certain death with open arms, and then the unimaginable happened. My name is Rosalie Hale, and this is my tragic beginning.
1. Hell

**A/N:** Okay, I know this has been done before, and I wasn't going to post it, but then I changed my mind. So, here it is. If you guys like it and let me know, there are a few more chapters after this one. If at least one person reviews and is interested, I will be happy to put up the rest.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight books.**

_..._

_ 'Why me? What had I done to deserve this?' _I contemplated these questions in my head as I lay there, awaiting death. I was surely going to die. I wanted to die. Because here I was, Rosalie Hale, who was soon to be the blushing bride of none other than Royce King, too weak to shiver, despite lying on an icy ground; too hurt to even whimper in pain; too humiliated to even _want_ to survive.

Even if my lungs had enough strength to muster up a decent scream for help, I wouldn't bother. I would rather be dead when they found my broken and beaten body instead of have to face life after this. Because if I did survive, I would be a cast off. People would look at me with pity rather than adoration. They would comfort Royce through the awful event, and nod their heads solemnly when he announced that he thought it best to call off the wedding.

I was damaged goods. Useless. A disposable woman whose beauty would be marred by the imperfection of what had happened. Violated. I had been violated in the worst way. Used. Trashed. Abused. Discarded. Shamed. So many things I had been put through. I thought back to what had happened and cringed at the memories.

_"C'mon Rosie," _Royce's words were forever etched in my mind, _"Give me all you got." _My mind reluctantly replayed what had happened next. The way he had shoved me down, laughing as I screamed when my head made contact with the hard ground. How he had pushed my skirt to my waist. How I had begged, dropped myself to the level of pleading as he forced himself in me. The pain. The agonizing feeling of being ripped in two, and my useless attempts to shove at his chest.

I wanted to retch as I remembered being passed around, forced to do unimaginably horrid things, and then destroyed. The pain throughout my body throbbed as an angry reminder, forcing me to relive the violent acts. But I was becoming numb. It was so cold. Blood. So much blood. Pooling and drying in my hair, staining the snow around me, running down my legs, and flowing from the multiple gashes on my body.

But all this meant quicker death. Yes, death would sweep me into her merciful arms and help me escape all of it. Escape him. Escape the scorn, the humiliation, the pain, and my shame. Death would rescue me from this cruel world. This unjust world. For it was unjust for me to finally reach the top with all my dreams almost in my grasp, only to have it swiped from my fingertips. My life, in the literal sense, was stolen along with my fantasy future.

I closed my eyes as my vision blurred with the creeping unconsciousness, my mind going fuzzy. Here it was. I silently bid farewell to my family, wishing I could have properly said goodbye. But what did it matter? Saying goodbye wouldn't have made this disgusting departure from the world any less unbearable.

But, wait...footsteps? Yes, soft footsteps were approaching me. No! No, they weren't supposed to find me yet. I vainly tried to adjust what was left of my clothing and salvage what was left of my dignity, but my arms only twitched, unable to move. So I remained exposed and helpless. Not how I wanted to be found.

Then, I wasn't quite as cold anymore. It took me a minute to realize that someone had placed a coat over me, shielding me not only from the chill, but from being displayed like a dog in the street. I turned my face into the coat and inhaled the most wonderful scent. It was warm and sweet, indescribable.

"Rosalie?" A voice so soft and comforting. Someone concerned and not disgusted. Someone who cared. "Who did this to you?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but found that my parched throat rendered me unable to identify the monsters. Instead, a raspy kind of whimper escaped me.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen, I am going to take care of you."

Dr. Cullen? But I didn't want to be taken care of, especially not by him. Why was it he that had to find me? Why was I even found? I tried to protest as he poked and prodded, tried to tell him to let me die, but I couldn't force words from my lips and my body was too weak to physically protest. The Cullens had always been detached from society, always at the fringe of the community, so why did he care what happened to me? But that wasn't what irritated me the most. It was the fact that they could have been more popular, more adored, more loved than even me if they had so wanted to.

Because they were beautiful and rich. They had a breath taking beauty that outmatched even my own. And I scoffed at them for it. Why such trivial facts bothered me at such a time, I wasn't sure.

All of a sudden we were moving, but I could only tell by the soft whisper of cool wind on my face. There was no sound of footfalls and the jarring movement that would have accompanied running was absent. Were we flying? Floating? Had I died, finally? Oh, how I wished to die! The sound of an opening door made me wonder if I was passing through the gates of heaven.

Surely I would go to heaven, for in the back of my mind, I identified myself as a martyr, in some ways. Someone who had been brutally and unjustly murdered. But there was still pain.

I thought there wasn't supposed to be pain in heaven? And the lights above were bright and intrusive. Why couldn't they turn the lights down? But it was warm, and I was grateful for that.

I became vaguely aware of being set down, but there was such a heavy darkness closing in on me that I knew I wasn't dead yet. It was coming, encroaching on my life now. I began to lose my grasp on everything, and my heart, which I was now aware of, stuttered.

"I've got to act quick," a murmur from somewhere, but I wasn't sure who was with me or why the voice was so agonized, almost as if he were debating something hard and had come to a reluctant conclusion. I felt a cool breath at my ear and was surprised by what he whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Hale." So sincere and regretful, but why? Suddenly, I was being dragged forcefully back to clarity by a pain so outrageous, I found myself wishing to be back in the snow, dying.

So this was why he brought me here? Hadn't I suffered enough? Hadn't I been degraded and tortured more than my fair share? A bloodcurdling scream ripped from my chest as the flames ravaged what was left of me.

I knew this was not Heaven. This was Hell.


	2. Awakening

**A/N:** Well, thank you to those who reviewed. I really appreciate your feedback. Also, feel free to critique, because I am here to improve and develop my writing. Not much else to say except enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight books.**

...

I couldn't control myself. I couldn't control the gut wrenching screams, or the guttural moans when I had no strength left to scream. I had surrendered all control of my body the minute that the fire seared through my veins. What was happening? Why was I being forced to endure such agony? Confusion was one of my lesser worries, but I couldn't help but wonder what I had possibly done in my life to warrant this.

I was only partially aware of the doctor's presence. He was always there at my side, apologizing continuously and holding my hand when I wasn't jerking around violently. Well, he should be sorry, because even though my thinking process had been skewered, I knew that he was the one responsible for this. But, in spite of my irate opinion of him, I begrudgingly admitted to myself my gratitude for him staying with me.

Now I had reached a stage of the pain where I was so exhausted from trying to make sense of all this while also rejecting the torturous burning, that I was able to at least keep from shrieking. How much time had passed? A day? A year? For all I knew, a century could have passed without my being aware.

He was speaking again, going on about blood, and keeping distance, and influenza, and cliffs, and animals...wait, did he just say _vampires_? I almost wanted to laugh, but laughter was a foreign thing to me in the midst of being burned alive, so I didn't. I gave up listening and instead focused on another noise. Something, or someone, was approaching.

Just as I heard a door open somewhere, another fierce flood of pain overtook me and I fell back under its influence. Screaming, thrashing, begging for death. When I heard two more voices I pleaded with them to end my misery. Would they help me? Would they save me, unlike this cruel, sadistic doctor? Of course, I knew him to be far from cruel or sadistic. I had gathered that just from hearing the strained remorse in his voice.

"Rosalie Hale?" A beautifully disgusted voice asked. How dare he? What would prompt anyone to say my name with such contempt? I became angry as their conversation continued and this Edward, as he was called, sounded uninterested, but slightly irritated. What did he know? Why could he judge?

"Too much waste." Carlisle said, and the voice that responded was gentle and soft. I instantly felt myself drawn to the comforting warmth of this female's voice. It held a tenderness and sweet innocence that I wanted her to speak more, just to distract what little part of my mind it could from my pain.

Then, something Edward said caught my attention, "...not that anyone suspects the fiend."

So, they knew that Royce was the one responsible. I felt slightly comforted that I wasn't the only one with the slightest bit of resentment towards him.

"What are we going to do with her?" Edward's voice was disgusted, and my dislike for this unfamiliar person increased.

"That's up to her, of course. She may want to go her own way." Carlisle responded.

Wait? Go off on my own? Alone? I sifted through what I could remember of Carlisle's earlier words.

_"We are vampires. But not in the way you would imagine them. We refrain from feeding on humans, and instead are sustained by animal blood."_

This hadn't made sense, but what did make sense in all of this? I knew I believed him, and the thought of being on my own brought on a flood of terror. I wouldn't be able to go back to my family, as I had intended before I had learned what was happening to me. I was no longer Rosalie Hale. I could already feel that. Something was changing in me, shifting, growing, and reshaping.

Even my thoughts felt different. I was now able to form coherent thoughts, despite the fact that the pain was still at full intensity. I heard the female speak again, but I didn't concentrate on what she was saying, because now my full attention was on the fact that the flames were receding slightly from my fingers, only to focus even more on my wrists.

Footsteps were leaving, and I heard a soft tune. Someone was humming. I tried to relax to the soothing sound, but now the pain was intensifying in my elbows. I felt cool hands in my hair, and felt the familiar trickle of water. Then I felt the soft friction of clothing being maneuvered around my body. I was unaware of anything else that the cold hands did to me, because there was now a focal point of pain in my chest, heaving and pulsing against my rapidly dying heart.

My scream was not throaty and jagged as I had expected it to be. It was actually quite attractive, despite it echoing the desperation I felt for the piercing flames to go away. For one second, I thought I was going to die. It couldn't be healthy for my heart to sound like that. When it fluttered helplessly to a stop, I thought I was dead until the fact that I was still breathing in gasps meant life, occurred to me.

It was gone. And I was still alive. The gasps created a peculiar sensation, for I felt no relief in the flowing oxygen. The smells were so intense. There was a beautiful warm smell, similar to a mixture of lavender and the aroma that filled the house when mother was baking bread, but still not quite the same. I was overwhelmed as the scents of the room bombarded me, and instead of trying to figure out what they all were, I concentrated on the most beautiful of them, of which the source I was not sure.

"Carlisle," a musical voice beckoned, and I recognized it as the female to whom I had been so drawn during...I shuddered at the thought, and my muscles tightened in an unfamiliar way. So much power in such a simple flex. I had never been a particularly strong girl before, but I felt different now.

There were footsteps approaching and two men walked through the door. I tensed, not sure what to expect from these people. Or..._vampires_, as I reluctantly thought. My eyes fluttered open, and I took a sharp breath at the brilliant colors and perfect clarity of everything. There was a window to my right, the drapes drawn tight over it with a few beams of sunlight shining through the sides. I sat up, taking in my surroundings.

"How are you feeling, Miss Hale?" Carlisle Cullen was in front of me now, the female and the boy I vaguely remembered to be Edward now behind him. They looked apprehensive, almost fearful. Reflexively, I inhaled, and was met with the aroma of something similar to a sweet spice and fresh forest, and morning dew. I identified it as the scent that I had first encountered in the coat.

I now returned my attention to his question. How was I feeling? I tried to focus on the feelings coursing through me, but there was no way to pinpoint any one of them. But there was one. One that was insanely difficult to ignore. A burning parched feeling was at the back of my throat, and I remembered that I had been thirsty before my...ordeal.

"May I have some water?" I asked, and gasped at the tinkling, bell like tone that had replaced my meek, delicate voice from before.

The bronze haired boy behind Carlisle began to speak, taking the slightest of steps towards me. Before he could get a word out, I surprised myself by letting a fierce, feral snarl erupt from me, and I leaped back to the far corner of the room. As I thought over what I was doing I realized that my body was curled over into a predator's crouch, ready to spring at the first sign of movement, and a low, warning growl was emitting through my bared teeth.

Despite the slight shock at my actions, it felt right. I felt offended by the male's approach, and needed to show that I would defend myself. No one would be allowed to hurt me again. Never would I go through that again.

"Careful, Edward," Carlisle murmured as he held up his hands in a peaceful way. The female's face was anxious and she had a hand on Edward's shoulder, restraining him from moving another inch.

Smart woman, because if he _did _move another inch towards me, he would be missing his head. His lips parted to speak again, and I tensed, leaning ever so slightly forward, letting my growl grow louder. He stopped. Well, at least he knew not to continue addressing me.

Instead, Carlisle spoke again. "No one is going to hurt you, Miss Hale. Can we just talk for a little? Let us explain what has happened to you." His voice was so soothing, it was hard not to slowly relax and very, very carefully rise out of my stance.

I eyed them carefully, watching for any sign of danger. They apparently were doing the same thing as Carlisle and the female came very carefully towards me. Edward remained in his spot by the door, utterly still and looking slightly irritated. My eyes scanned the room for possible escapes. There was no way that I could defend myself against three of them. The window, very easy to jump through, glass or no glass. The door would be more difficult, seeing as the second male was standing next to it, but still not impossible. The walls looked surprisingly sturdy, so I wasn't sure how long it would take for me to work my way through it.

This was the very instinctual side of me thinking, because the other part of my now spacious mind knew that this was not a dangerous situation. Carlisle gestured, slowly, to the single chair that was approximately two feet from me and slightly to the right. I moved quickly, placing myself in the chair, but I felt no need to. I was actually quite comfortable standing.

I remained in a rigid position, still unsure and very confused. My nostrils flared as my senses reached out, trying to detect any threat in the vicinity before I let any more of my guard down. Another part of my brain, one that took minimal space, was wondering at the way Edward was looking at me. It was a hard, guarded gaze, and he was shamelessly looking into my eyes, as if searching for something. But the thing that irritated me was that there was no admiration in his disconcerting stare. In fact he looked displeased, in a way, as if he were suffering a very slight disappointment.

I was immediately affronted as the corner of his mouth unexpectedly tugged up and a soft chuckle whispered through his pale lips. I pulled my lips over my teeth again and hissed, leaning forward as if to pounce. What right had he to laugh at me? What was even funny about this? What could he _possibly_ be laughing at?

"Edward," Carlisle reproved in a warning voice. I turned my attention back to him, letting my face relax again, all but forgetting about the obnoxious, beautiful boy that was currently seven and three quarters feet to my immediate left.

Once again, I repeated my request, "May I have some water?"

Edward laughed silently again, but I ignored him, deciding to give my full attention to Carlisle.

"Miss Hale-" Before he continued I voiced my wish to be called Rosalie, "Okay. Rosalie, it is not water you thirst for. It is..." he hesitated.

"...blood." I finished, recalling what Carlisle had told me I was transforming into. I was a vampire now. He explained again in reserved and careful tones, exactly what I was. I had the strength to rival just about anything, the ability to bite through steel, the skin to repel all offenses, and the speed to outrun the fastest known creatures.

And I craved human blood. A lot of it. Especially for how young I was now-young referring to how recently I had been thrown into this new and overwhelming life. I quickly clarified that I wanted to stay with them and abstain from drinking the blood of humans. I would do anything to not be alone. Even if it meant I had to deal with Edward. I shocked myself by the intense irritation I felt for him, even though I barely even knew him. I admitted to myself that it was probably because there was something missing in the way he looked at me...something that had always been in the eyes of single men when they looked at me was not present in Edward's eyes. Instead of a look of desire, his eyes mirrored my own dislike.

How odd for us to harbor a petty animosity so early on in our acquaintance. I didn't bother to trivialize over it for long. There was too much else to contemplate. I learned that the lovely female was Esme, and even though I took a liking to her complacent nature, I held a very small resentment to her because of her beauty. She had a soft, classic beauty about her in the soft curve of her face, the slight frame of her body, the warm gold of her eyes, and the billows of light caramel hair that cascaded past her shoulder blades. Her complexion, like the other twos', was of palest ivory, not a hint of rose in her pretty face.

But the highlight of this awakening was when they brought out a mirror. My breath hitched and my mouth gaped at the perfect being staring at me from the glass. Someone had washed the blood and dirt from my hair and put me in a simple dress. I marveled at the soft curve of my full lips, the elegant height of my delicate cheekbones, the arch of my brow, the proportioned size of my nose. I had considered myself exceptionally beautiful before, but now the beauty went beyond exquisite.

My eyes scanned down my body and I found that my once admirable curves now had no flaw to them. I filled out the dress nicely, the slight shape of my legs barely visible in the skirt of the dark blue dress, and my tiny waist completed the desirable hourglass shape. All old flaws were no longer present. I was now able to fill out the top of a dress a little bit better, my complexion was impecable, and my face was perfectly symmetrical.

There were only two drawbacks to my image. One was the fact that I was incapable of blushing. Back when I had been human, many had found it endearing how easily and readily I flushed, the pooling of pink in my cheeks creating a rosy image of innocence and beauty. It had been a prized feature of mine, my rosy cheeks. Now I was forever this alabaster pale, the lack of blood leaving me unable to blush.

The other flaw was the shocking crimson of my eyes. I missed the light and unique violet color my eyes had once been. They had, technically, been hazel, but when the sunlight had highlighted my face just right, they threw the impression that my eyes were that unheard of color. And now I had these red ruby eyes, the eyes of a demon. I was informed that they would turn into the pretty topaz that theirs were in due time, as long as I maintained the diet. I steeled myself and became determined never to let human blood taint my features. If my self control was all that was needed to make my face perfect, then I would be sure to maintain that.

I also learned that we were going to move soon, because I couldn't very well walk through the town when I was missing. That is what they told me, that the community was in frenzy and the Kings had, as Edward had predicted, organized a large search for the sweet fiancé of poor Royce. Of course, Royce was feigning heartbreak, refusing to see anyone and wallowing in sorrow over his missing bride.

After hearing this, I rose from my seat, deciding to rip his throat out and kill the monster for what he had done, what he had inflicted upon me. An angry shriek rang off the walls as I struggled against the arms that were restraining me. They managed to calm me down, but still I paced in pent up rage, and in that moment, I resolved to make sure that Royce King would die a viscous death, a death that he had intended for me. How ironic the situation was, that I would be the one to avenge my own death by killing my killer.

My outburst of laughter startled Carlisle and Esme, and I wasn't surprised, due to the hysterical note that colored my voice. What did surprise me was that Edward didn't look surprised. He looked angry, his eyes hard as stone. For the first time, his negative emotion was not directed at me. In fact, he seemed to be angry _with_ me. I felt myself soften ever so slightly towards him. He sympathized with me, and I knew that he looked angry on my behalf.

"Rosalie," Esme's voice quieted my peals of hysterics, and I now turned to her, "I believe that you would be more comfortable if we show you how to hunt. You must be in such pain right now."

I was very aware of the fire now scorching my throat and nodded in agreement. They all circled around me, as if afraid of another outburst, and led me out the door for my first hunting trip.


	3. Impatience

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Books.**

...

He was not someone I recognized. Probably the one who had come up from Georgia. I couldn't even think his name, that is how much the anger blinded me. I smiled a sickened smile as I disposed of the body. Only one more left. Well, I would wait a couple days before doing that. Let him squirm a little bit more. That wouldn't hurt.

I ran back home through the small wooded area where we had been hunting for the past month, the blackness of night no longer hindering my sight. I had expected that we would leave right away, but was informed that it would be best if they maintained their lives here for a bit before leaving, to avoid unwanted suspicion. My scent was strong here, seeing as I had been hunting excessively, even for a newborn. I was trying to speed up the process of the switch of eye color as much as possible, to no avail. My perfection was still tainted with the sinister red eyes. They had proved useful for one thing, though, that being that they made me a little bit more intimidating when committing murder.

_No, _I thought to myself. _Not murder, justice._ Yes, I was serving justice. These horrid creatures were getting what they deserved. In fact, I thought their deaths to be a little too quick, even though that was necessary to avoid the whole blood lust problem. Not only would that elongate the time between myself burning through the human blood in my system, but I would _not _have any part of them inside of me. I would not taint myself with them.

Carlisle and Edward were home, I could tell as the quaint little cottage came into view. Esme must still be out looking for a home, a job that had occupied her ever since my first week with them. I entered through the back without breaking stride, only slowing when I came upon the living room where Edward was reading through a book from Carlisle's endless collection. Didn't he do anything other than play music and read?

"It's better than assassinating people." he said without looking up, too quietly for Carlisle to hear in his study. I could tell Carlisle didn't approve of what I was doing out of revenge against my would be killers. Well, killers, since I considered this a different form of death. But Carlisle, being the compassionate and understanding man that he was, hadn't commented or voiced his disapproval, because he knew I could not be at peace knowing that those men had paid no retribution for their actions against me.

I scowled at Edward before going into the bedroom that had been Esme's work room, but that she was now allowing me to use. I had asked if the large, gilded mirror could remain, and she had happily obliged. Anything that I requested, Esme had indulged, trying to make my transition as smooth as possible. There wasn't much else in the room except for a wardrobe and a large trunk filled with new clothes that they had purchased for me.

I moved to the wardrobe in the corner and opened it. There were a couple of very nice dresses, but what I was looking for was the grandest of them. I pulled out the long, white garment that I had stolen a couple of nights ago. I held it up against my body, but couldn't resist pulling off my clothes and slipping into the masterpiece of a wedding dress.

I smoothed my hand over the french silk unnecessarily and tilted my head slightly to the left. Yes, I looked more radiant than I ever could have imagined, and my imagination was known to go a little overboard. The wedding dress was as extravagant as they came, the bead work on the bodice alone being very intricate. It had been the wedding dress that I had wanted for my marriage to Royce. My mother had disapproved, saying that it was too scanty and that I would look much more presentable in a nice traditional dress.

I eyed the lacy sleeves, the tasteful train, and the way it fitted at my waist. Yes, a little bit more revealing than what you usually saw on a bride, but also much more beautiful. I loved the way it highlighted the bones at my neckline and how my pale skin now improved the picture of perfection rather than detracted from it. It was like a sick, twisted joke, and I would be the only one laughing.

Could I wait a couple more days, draw out the suspense? As I looked at my reflection, I smoothed out the wrinkle between my eyebrows before deciding that no, I would not be able to wait that long. I knew where he was, I was already dressed for the occasion, and I had just recently hunted. My self control was strong right now, and my vengeance fierce. I would do it tonight. He had already been terrified from the first death, so that would just have to do.

I untied the twist at the back of my head and let the golden curls tumble out, bouncing into place. Reaching back into the wardrobe, I took out the delicate lace veil and pinned it into my hair. Yes, perfection. I sighed as I returned to gazing at myself in the mirror. What a beautiful bride I would make, then such a picturesque wife I could have been, and then...

My dead heart ached and my eyes stung with imagined tears at the thought. No, I would not think about how gorgeous and perfect my children would have been. But, just like before, I could not avoid imagining how complete I would look with an angelic little baby in my arms. A woman with a baby was maternal, beautiful, glowing. Of course, I was already beautiful and glowing, but it wasn't the same. Motherhood brought with it a whole different beauty, a whole other aspect of life that I would never get to experience. Esme had told me with a strained voice when we were alone about this horrible truth.

Vampires could not reproduce. We would be eternally beautiful, eternally strong, eternally young, but as compensation we would never get to experience these things with our children or grandchildren.

I shook my head, trying to focus again. The future I had lost was exactly that. Lost. Impossible to get back. I was not a human and I would never be human again. I turned swiftly to punish the person responsible for this. This person was not Carlisle, even though he had been the one to give me this sort of after life. I was actually a little grateful to Carlisle for saving me in this way, because had I died that night like I had so desired, what I was currently doing would not have been possible.

_He _would never have had to pay for what he did. But he would now. I heard Carlisle's sigh as I passed the door to his study and I felt Edward's eyes burning into my back as I headed for the door. I was glad Esme was gone, because it would have been harder to do this with her sorrow filled face looking after me. I would not want such a gentle person to see me about to commit such a violent act.

I sniffed at the air as I came to the border of town. No humans around currently, but I would have to be extra cautious. No need for suspicions running around. I ran through the back alleyways, my feet silent on the ground despite the heeled shoes I had chosen. The way was simple for me, his scent leading me straight to him. I stopped and took an unnecessary deep breath just outside the door. I was ready. In fact, I was eager.

The locked door stood no chance against my newly acquired strength. It was simpler than snapping one of my delicate little hairpins. The halls were windowless, the path dark to human eyes. The scent of humans was disgustingly strong here and I crinkled my nose in response to the burning thirst. There were murmurs somewhere farther down and I followed the sound. Other humans were present aside from my target. That was unexpected, but not a hindrance. Nothing could stop me now.

"Who-?" One of the voices began when I came into view of the two bodyguards that he had hired, a futile attempt to save his life.

I smiled widely at them, and their breathing ceased, their eyes popping. I wasn't sure if it was my beauty or the fact that I was supposed to be dead that evoked such reactions, and I decided that it was probably both. It also may have been the ghostly pale skin, red eyes, and the set of exposed, razor sharp teeth.

Their necks were easily snapped without a drop of blood spilt, a vital accommodation to maintain my diet. I now turned my attention to the thick door that was now my only obstacle. Well, that was just as easily dealt with, and soon nothing stood in my way.

I smelled the fear before I saw him, and venom instantly pooled in my mouth at the thirst inducing scent. No, I had promised myself that I would not spoil my body with his poisonous blood. He was cowering in the corner of the windowless room and I now stood in the only door out.

"Hello, Royce," I crooned in my sultry voice, "I'll give you all I've got."

I smiled at his response, revelling in his screams just as much as he had in mine.


	4. Lost Kingdom

**A/N: **Well, it has been _really _long since I have been here, and I apologize. Quite a few personal issues got in the way and I haven't found it in me to write. Okay, so here is the final chapter to this story. If it doesn't make sense at the beginning, the italics is Rosalie thinking back to the night she was attacked.

……

_"Here's my Rose!" _His words from that night came screaming back at me, forever emblazoning themselves on my permanent memory.

The back of my hand made contact with his face and the sickening crunch of multiple bones egged me on.

_"You're late. We're cold, you've kept us waiting so long." _Crack went his fingers as I crushed them under my foot.

_"Isn't she lovelier than all your Georgia peaches?" _My face twisted into a smile as he flew across the room.

_"Show him what you look like, Rose!" _My iron like fist plunged into his vulnerable gut and I laughed harshly as the air huffed out of him in a painful gasp.

_"That's right, Rosalie. Scream for me." _I twisted his arm until his screech reached a pitch that would deafen human ears.

_"Don't be like that, Rosalie." _My dead heart felt alive as I felt the snap of his leg under my foot.

_The wild laughter as I slapped my hand across his face uselessly. _I let my hand swing forward to connect with his already broken cheek. He wasn't laughing this time.

_The patronizing comments as I struggled to free myself, "Aw, poor Rosalie. Now be a good girl and settle down." _I watched him struggle as my iron grip held him a foot above the ground against the wall. "What is it, Royce? Be a good boy and settle down."

"_Please, Royce, please! Please don't do this. Please let me go, I beg you." I had pleaded with him and was met with another bout of laughter._

"Rosalie!" He gasped, "I...please...let me..." His words were warped with pain, his face in a grimace.

"What? Let you go?" I slammed him into the wall and he let out a weak whimper, "Have mercy on you? The same way you had mercy on me?"

I swung him around and let him fall back to the floor in a crumpled heap. I had to finish it now. The smell of his weak blood all pumped with fear was going to be too much. If I was going to keep from drinking his blood, his death had to come soon.

I walked over to where he was curled in a fetal position, an agonized moan reaching my sensitive ears.

_"Guess I'll have to have to learn a little more patience with the next one."_

"Well, Royce, as much fun as I am having with you, I need to be getting back." I placed my hands on the sides of his face and dragged him up to eye level. The gesture of my bone white hands placed on his cheeks could almost have passed as one of love.

"No, please. Please, my Rose." I cringed as his tears ran over my skin, warm with the salty, tantalizing human smell.

"Guess I'll have to learn a little more patience." His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before I jerked my hands violently to one side, the loudest crack of them all resounding off the walls, signifying his death. Finally. I let his lifeless body fall back before crouching down myself, my head in my hands.

Death was not an easy thing, even when the lost life was one you hated passionately. One you had wished death upon while they were alive. Sure, it was easier after you had done it a few times, but this was different. I had shared intimate moments with this man, accepted his gifts, visited his family, worn his ring, expected to marry him, to bear his children, and grow old with him.

And now here he lay, dead. At my feet. His blood on my hands, in the metaphorical sense.

I rose out of my crouch and ran from the room, weaving my way through the havoc I had caused. Within three seconds I was running through the trees again, heading in a direction I wasn't sure of.

A portion of my expansive mind wondered what kind of cruel, sadistic monster I had to be to have committed such horrible acts. But that was only a small part, because the rest of me felt gratified. Justified. Even, if you will. The small piece of the human version of me had needed this. I had needed to see that the future I had yearned for was for sure destroyed. For sure impossible. Forever lost.

Because they would never find Rosalie Hale. My body would never be discovered. I would never be buried. My parents would not be able to kiss me goodbye. There would always be that sense of mystery surrounding my name, at least for the time that my name would even be remembered. Once my name was lost, the memory of my short lived life gone, the pictures of me packed away in some dusty attic before being thrown away, then there would be nothing.

Royce's death in a way replaced mine. There was definitive closure, a defined ending to Rosalie Hale. Now I could leave, and I had left some imprint on the city, for however long the scandal of these disturbing deaths would entertain the citizens.

I pushed myself faster, flexing my muscles until I barely felt the ground underneath me anymore. I threw my head back and a maniacal laugh rang off the empty forest. I hadn't realized where I was going, but now that I looked up, I recognized the back of Vera's quaint little home. I slowed now, not bothering to wonder why my subconscious had brought me to this place. There was happiness in this home, a content that was infectious to all who visited.

I let myself creep up to the shadows closest to the house and peered into one of the lit windows. It was little Henry's room, with the hand-me-down white crib and the blanket that Vera had knitted thrown over the railing. Vera was in there, holding her son and swaying. My hearing picked up the soft, muted humming that was coming from her, soothing her son back to sleep.

My whole body ached as I watched this beautiful moment, this incredible little miracle of a moment that I could only watch from afar. For a second I hated Vera, hated her with all of my power. She probably didn't even cherish this time as much as she should, didn't realize the value of such a precious gift from God!

But I couldn't deceive myself, and my hate ebbed away as quickly as it had come. Because one look at Vera's face, at that adoring and devoted expression, told me that she did cherish this moment for all it was. Maybe she even valued it more than I felt I would have, since she was actually living it.

As soon as she placed the baby gently back in his bed and flicked off the light, I tore out of there. I couldn't bear to watch if she went in to her husband's room and they shared a moment that had been as private as the one between the mother and child. If he touched her face tenderly and kissed her forehead affectionately, or if she smiled shyly at him I think I would have stormed in there and done...I don't know what I would have done, but it wouldn't have been pretty.

How was it fair that mousy Vera, sweet, naive little Vera had gotten everything? How had she achieved happiness in that tiny little hole of a home, with that average looking husband, with that head of thin, dark hair, and with those small green eyes? It wasn't fair at all. I wasn't even sure how she _could _be happy in those circumstances.

I brushed off the small voice in my head that whispered _love _into my ear, convincing myself that it wasn't all about love. Sure, having love would help, but didn't you need more?

I was home much sooner than I had anticipated, but there was no where else to go and my self control was already strained to a breaking point. Instead of charging in the way I usually did, I let myself in quietly. It really didn't matter, they would know I was home either way.

Esme was home, and she was waiting there for me, brow furrowed, hands anxiously clenching and unclenching. When she saw me, she jumped up and was at my side instantly.

"Oh, my poor girl." Was all she whispered before tugging my reluctant body into a tight embrace.

How sweet she was, to already love me like a daughter after only a few weeks. The insanely vain part of me asked 'what isn't there to love?', but I placed my hands gently on her back. I saw Carlisle over her shoulder, making himself look busy. Edward was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as she released me, I looked down at myself. The wedding dress was not the spectacular spectacle it had been before my little trip. The branches had caught it at various places and ripped right through and there was hardly anything of the lace left. I had ditched the veil once half of it had been ripped off.

"It's over." Was all I said, before realizing that everything was packed up. Only a couple couches were left in the living area and a few boxes remained in the hallway.

I was grateful that we were leaving that night, and watched as Edward pulled the car around to load up what was left of the belongings. Esme helped me into some more practical clothes and we all got into the car. Before I knew it, we were speeding off from my family, my home, my dreams, my life.

Leaving my kingdom behind.


End file.
